Double Shot: Customer Service Oops and Grudge, Much?

As many of you know, I had knee surgery last November. Minor stuff - meniscus; but still, it takes some rehab to get back to 100 percent.

So, my health insurance doles out a specific number of visits, and -- when those run out, the physical therapist has to petition for more.

The latest petition was denied (which is something I had expected). However, what makes it so amusing was the correspondence, I received back from them.
At the bottom of the letter, was an explanation for the decision.

Your request for additional visits has been denied, for the following reasons:
1. Your pain level is severe
2. You are experiencing improvement through continued physical therapy visits
3. You have reached the maximum amount of visits allowed through our plan.

These factors were considered in arriving at this decision.

Really?

So, the fact that I'm still in pain *and* I'm getting better, is the reason for the denial? Why even put those things in there? Just simply say, "If you continue to go to physical therapy, we will stop being profitable in your case; so we're going to just cut you off now."

There are few things more annoying than others having the expectation that you're stupid.

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Many years ago, I worked as an editor in the trade publishing field. In fact, at the time, I was the youngest editor ever named to the highest post of a magazine (although, I know at least one person beat my record).

In any event, I ended up being let go from the company, for what was, quite honestly, an extremely capricious reason. I ended up taking on another start-up magazine, made it quite profitable; left for another magazine, and then found my way into corporate/internal communications, where I've actually won awards for my work.

So, effectively, being let go was a pretty good thing, in retrospect. I enjoyed the company; liked many of the people, so I definitely would not have been looking for other opportunities. 

Fast forward to today, and many of the people I worked with, who never wandered away from the company, are out of work; their only marketable skills are from being a trade magazine editor and writer. So, again, in retrospect, I'm happy; even relieved; that I moved on.

On Thursday, I was at the Department of Labor, taking a class, and who should walk in but my former supervisor (who also had been a friend of mine at the time). We haven't spoken since that day, 16 years ago. I recognized him instantly. I cannot imagine he didn't recognize me.

The course ended, and he took off ... literally. The second the class was over he was the first one up and the first one out the door. I followed a few minutes later, and caught sight of him leaving the restroom and even a little later, after he'd meandered through the building a few minutes. I was curious if he'd approach me, but he seemed intent on avoiding me at all costs.

I ended up walking out behind him, and I felt like a hunter tracking a wounded deer; and I felt sorry for him (which is probably why I don't hunt). I easily could've called out, "Mark!" and forced the issue; but I elected to let him walk away.

I sent him a message here on Facebook afterwards, saying -- maybe he didn't recognize me; but, in my eyes, bygones were just that. If he wanted to exchange contacts, etc. - I was cool with that; and I invited him to my presentations next week on job seeking. No response.

And, then I thought to myself; how incredible sad is this. By all accounts, *I* was the one who was wronged. I was the one who was let go without cause. And yet, SIXTEEN YEARS later, he's still the one carrying a grudge? And, rather than being mad or angered, I found myself pitying him quite a bit.

If there's anyone out there with whom I haven't spoken for 16 years, due to a perceived slight; seriously, email me .... life is too short to hold a grudge that long (and, it's hard work, too).

On the other hand, if it's only been 15 years, don't bother me til next year.